Former Gabon President Ali Bongo Granted Travel Freedom After Coup

Gabon’s former president, Ali Bongo, who was deposed in a coup, has been granted permission to depart the country and travel overseas, according to the leader of the coup that removed him.

General Brice Oligui Nguema made this announcement on Wednesday through a statement broadcast on state television, stating, “He has full freedom of movement and is free to travel abroad if he chooses.”

Ali Bongo, who held power for 14 years, had been confined to house arrest since the military coup on August 30. This coup occurred shortly after his party declared his reelection in a vote that the coup leaders described as fraudulent but without any violence.

Colonel Ulrich Manfoumbi Manfoumbi, speaking on behalf of Oligui, who was sworn in as the transitional president on Monday, added, “Considering his health condition, the former President of the Republic, Ali Bongo Ondimba, has been granted freedom of movement. He may travel abroad for medical examinations if he wishes.”

Bongo had suffered a severe stroke in October 2018, resulting in physical impairments, particularly affecting his right leg and arm.

Ali Bongo assumed office in 2009, succeeding his father, Omar, who had ruled the country for approximately 41 years, known for his authoritarian rule and corruption.

Although Bongo was reelected in a highly contested election in 2016, his stroke in 2018 weakened his hold on power. According to the officially disputed results, Bongo received 64.27 percent of the vote, while his opponent, Ondo Ossa, garnered 30.77 percent.

Following the coup, Ondo Ossa called on Oligui to step down, asserting that he had won the elections and that the military takeover had effectively “nullified” the election results. He also suggested that there were familial ties between Oligui and Bongo and characterized the event as more of a “palace revolution” perpetuating what he referred to as the “Bongo system.”